Doctor accused of killing partner, attorneys may link cough syrup

SEATTLE (AP) — Attorneys for a doctor charged with aggravated murder may argue that their client was suffering from cough-syrup induced psychosis, which led him to kill his partner and toddler son in 2011.

Chen’s defense team had previously indicated it would pursue an insanity or diminished capacity defense. But a motion filed in October suggests Chen had a buildup of dextromethorphan, a cough suppressant found in many over-the-counter cold medicines, in his system.

The motion argues that the drug metabolized slowly in Chen, who is Taiwanese, due to his genetic makeup.